Rail anchor



J. W. SKEEL RAIL ANCHOR May 1, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 12, 1947 JNVENTOR. @45 W y L 1951 v J. w. SKEEL 2,551,508

RAIL ANCHOR Filed Dec. 12, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 j A J 5 INVENTOR. 32 20 6. MLMW F16 6 u? m J. W. SKEEL.

May 1, E951 RAIL ANCHOR Filed Dec. 12, 1947 INVENTOR.

J. W. SKEEL May Tl, 1951 RAIL ANCHOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 12, 1947 W 4) BY 6} INVENTOR. I

JTI- v ww Patented May 1, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAIL ANCHOR John William Skeel, North Girard, Pa., assignor to True Temper Corporation, a corporation of Ohio Application December 12, 1947, Serial No. 791,423

19 Claims. (Cl. 238-327) This invention relates to improvements in rail anchors and more particularly relates to improvements in rail anchors of the two piece type disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,366,558 to Cooper, et al., dated January 25, 1921 and in certain particulars relates to improvementsover the assembled type of the said patented rail anchor as disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,022,880 to Cooper.

Both of the aforesaid patented rail anchors have been put into extensive use and while they have been found highly serviceable under ordinary conditions of use and when properly applied to a rail base, it has been found that occasionally, when such anchors are applied by relatively unskilled workmen, or are applied under extreme conditions of high ballast underlying the rail base, the results of such applications have been sub-normal in many instances.

Such prior types of said patented rail anchors under conditions of unskillful application, are subject to over-driving of said retaining element and consequent frictional retention thereof in an overdriven position so that its free hooked end will extend beyond, and out of spring pressed engagement with, the side of the rail base, whereby the anchor is not reliably secured in its nor,- mal desired applied position.

Also in the case of many of the aforesaid patented anchors the position of the striking surface presented by the retaining element is such that it is partially laterally shrouded by the laterally disposed arms of the U-shaped clamp element and therefore is very difficult to properly hit with a hammer or maul, particularly where the railway ballast is dressed somewhat high, since, to properly drive the retaining element an upwardly directed blow is advisable. Consequently, track men commonly resort to the use of picks which are productive of various undesirable results.

Moreover, as related in the said prior Cooper patent, it has been found necessary to an asserted proper application of both of the anchor parts, to first drive the retaining member to;

cause the forward terminal hook to pass beyond the opposite side of the rail base, and where it may be engaged with, or located beyond said base side edge where it may sometimes be retained in inoperative position as a result of frictional.

holding engagement by the clamp.

Subsequent separate driving of the clamp mem ber has been usually relied upon to momentarily so reduce such frictional holding effect, as to cause the position of the hook to be readjusted to cause said hook to engage the side edge of the rail base.

Such efforts to re-adjust the retainer hook do not invariably produce the intended result to a desirable degree, wherein the engagement between said terminal hook of the retainer and the side edge of the rail base is maintained by fully active spring pressure.

Having hereinabove set forth certain of the shortcomings of the prior rail anchors of the present general type, which are disclosed in United States patents to Cooper No. 1,682,370 dated August 28, 1928 and No. 2,022,880 dated December 3, 1935, theembodiment of the rail anchor of my invention which is disclosed herein is of the same general type as those of the above identified prior art patents, but involves important improvements thereover which are now briefly related.

Momentary overdriving of the spring retainer member in a forward direction between the vertical arms of the generally U-shaped clamp and vertically between the rail base bottom and the upper surface of the clamp web, is not productive of the aforesaid objectionable condition that the overdriven terminal hook of the retainer member tends to remain in laterally separated relation to the remote side edge of the rail base,

but wherein immediate consequent retraction of the looped portion of the retainer effects a retractive spring pressure engagement between said hook and said remote rail base edge; additionally no web engaging portion of the lower retainer arm can be driven so far forwardly as to be in downwardly directed spring pressure engagement with the extreme forward edge of the clamp web whereby frictional opposition to retractive movement of the overdriven retainer as previously prevented such immediate and automatic spring-pressed engagement of the terminal retainer hook with the side surface of the remote rail base edge; moreover the clamp web is in the said embodiment more abruptly inclined in converging relation to the rail base to achieve more effective tractive application of the clamp jaws to the proximate rail base flange as an incident to the driving of the retainer member of the anchor.

To provide an improved two piece rail anchor of the above general type so constructed that the rail anchor will readily be properly applied, even by unskillful workmen, even under conditions where the railway ballast is dressed-higher'than the common practice, as a result of a driving blow or blows by a driving tool, directed, merely against the rearmost portion of the spring retaining member.

To provide an improved rail anchor generally of the aforesaid type wherein such overdriving of the spring retaining member, as will effect consequent improper loose application of the anchor to a .rail base, is effectually avoided.

To provide an improved rail anchor generally of the aforesaid type so constructed, and adapted by virtue of its construction, to be completely applied by merely driving the spring retainer element, and without the necessity of any final striking or other unreliable separate adjustment of the other, or clamping element of the anchor.

To provide an improved rail anchor of the aforesaid general type wherein the web of the U-shaped clamp member of the anchor is so disposed as to upwardly incline the clamp web to a substantially greater degree than has been heretofore proposed for anchors of this type whereby with the spring member being driven forwardly between the arms, the clamp jaw notches disposed in parallel with each other at the front edges of the clamp member and the spring retainer member being driven between the arms with a lowermost arm portion engaged with said web, that such engagement is productive of a substantially greater tractive force on the clamp member jaws afforded by edge portions of its said notches that they are more completely projected onto a rail base flange, than has heretofore been possible, in response to driving blows merely imposed upon the rear end portion of the spring retainer member.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved anchor, wherein the foremost and uppermost end portion of the upwardly inclined clamp web is, in response to application of the recited clamp member onto a rail base flange, disposed so closely adjacent to a medial portion of the lower surface of the-rail base to which the anchor is being applied, that the more forwardly disposed portion of said web affords a barrier against forward movement of the recited spring retainer member to such a forward extent as to cause the web-engaged portion of the spring retainer member to engage or traverse the extreme forward edge of the upper surface of the web.

To provide a two-piece anchor of the aforesaid type, wherein driving blows directed at the rearmost end of the spring retainer member, which is thereby forced forwardly between the vertical arms of a U-shaped clamp member, and between the rail base and the clamp web, are effective to also fully drive the clamp member to a fully applied position on the proximate rail base flange.

To provide an improved rail anchor generally of the aforesaid type wherein the anchor is adapted to be completely and properly applied to a rail base merely by blows directed against the rear-most exposed striking surface of the retaining element of the anchor, even though the driving tool is directed from any of a plurality of Widely variant directions.

To provide an improved rail anchor generally of the aforesaid type so constructed that overdriving of the hooked end of the long arm of the spring retainer, is not productive of a condition wherein the anchor is but loosely attached to the rail base.

To provide an improved rail anchor generally of the aforesaid type wherein the effects of resiliency of the looped retainer element are not to a considerable extent, neutralized, because of multiple interspaced frictional pressure engagements between a plurality of longitudinally interspaced portions of the spring retainer and correspondingly disposed and relatively engaged interspaced portions of the inner lateral surface of the clamp arms.

To provide an improved rail anchor of the twop'iece type, aforesaid, wherein, after driving placement of the anchor onto a rail base, the free-end terminal hook of th spring element is reliably held against the adjacent lateral rail base edge as a result of fully operative retractive spring pressure, which is set up in the retainer as a result of driving the same to maintain the anchor in proper attached position on the rail base, under all normal conditions of use of the anchor.

Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains by reference to the following specification comprising drawings of a preferred embodiment of my invention and a written description of the said embodiment containing references to the said drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a pictorial view of the relatively assembled pair of clamp and retaining elements which are contained in the preferred embodiment of my invention disclosed herein;

Figs. 23-45 are respectively front elevational, side elevational, rear elevational, and top plan views of the clamp element of the said rail anchor;

Figs. 6-7 are respectively side elevational and top plan views of the spring retaining element thereof;

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the said rail anchor completely applied to a rail base, to which it is in operative relation, said base and a portion of the rail web being illustrated in vertical transfer sectional view;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal transfer section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8, illustrating fragments of the clamp and retainer elements of the rail anchor only;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to that of Fig. 8 showing said anchor preliminarily hand-placed on the rail base ready for the driving operation, one of the clamp arms being-indicated as broken away to expose anchor portions otherwise hidden from view;

Fig, 11 is a view of the nature of Fig. 8 but limited to a fragment of the showing thereof to illustrate a momentary limit of resilient straightening of the medial portion of the upper spring retainer arm, when a strong driving blow is deliveredagainst the rearmost surface of the spring retainer element of the anchor.

Referring now to the different figures of drawings all of which illustrate the preferred embodiment of my-invention, like prior types of twopiece rail anchors, my improved anchor of said embodiment comprises a generally U-shaped clamp member I having a medial, preferably approximately planular web 2, said web joining a pair of laterally interspaced arms 3, both of said arms having their forward edges notched to provide a pair of slots 4 having corresponding inwardly converging edges adapted to provide each arm with a pair of relatively superposed rail base engageable jaws, comprising'an upper jaw 5 and a lower jawfi.

Thus, two pairs of like, laterallyinterspaced,

relatively parallel, upper ia'ws 5, .and two pairs of like laterally interspaced, relatively parallel, lower jaws 6, are aiforded by the two arms 3. As best shown in Fig. 5, though also revealed in Figs. 2 and 4, the more upward portions of the two arms. 3 are preferably skewed inwardly, proceeding toward their rear edges so as to make said upper portion relatively converge from front to rear.

At corresponding points preferably adjacent their rear edges, each of the arms are so inden tured at .I, as to inwardly displace portions. Ia of its inner wall surface, and which portions Ia are preferably of relatively small area, and preferably afford the closest relative approach of any relatively confronting surfaces of the two arms, and to achieve other advantages which later appear herein. H

It may be here noted that, as shown, the foreand-aft dimensions of the clamp arms and web are preferably substantially greater than have been preferably employed in anchors of the twopiece type, to afford ample tie and tie plate bearing surfaces at the sides of the clamp.

As shown in the present embodiment, I prefer to cut away or bevel the upper front and rear edge corners of the clamp arms by providing the inclined edge portions 9 and III, the bevel edge portion 9, being substantially non-functional; however, the removal of a triangular piece of metal to provide the bevels Ill at the upper rearmost corners of the clamp arms permits ready access of the driving maul to the rearwardly disposed striking surface of the spring retainer element during the entire driving operation, even though the travel of the driving maul is in a substantially downward and inward angular direction.

Removal of both upper corners from each clamp arm is of distinct time-saving advantage in the manufacture of the clamp, since such corners are most conveniently trimmed to provide the bevels, prior to bending the fiat blank, to give it the desired U-shaped or channel form, and by trimming both the front and rear edge portions, the trimmed fiat blank may be fed to the blank bend-. ing dies in either relatively inverted position and therefore, the clamp arms are assured of having, at least, their rear upper corners cut away, and without care to ensure that the flat blank i properly presented with a particular side uppermost to the bending dies.

The blanks from which the clamps are made are most economically cut from relatively long strips of steel, and material required to be cutv from both arms to provide the notches 4, may be removed, simultaneously with the cutting away of the upper arm corners, or after the blank is bent to channel form; the indenturing operation to provide the protuberances Ia of the inwardly extending arm is preferably performed at the time of making the notches.

The notch edges 5 and B are properly interspaced and made relatively inwardly convergent at such proper angle that each pair of said edges affords a pair of jaws which are adapted to snugly embrace a lateral portion of the base flange of a rail of the size to which the rail anchor is intended to be applied. r The relative angularity of the plane passing through the lower jaw surface .6 with respect to the plane of the upper surface of the-clamp web 2, being preferably of the order of 45 as herein shown, is substantially greater than the .approxi mately 30 angularityas between the planes of I corresponding :such surfaces of prior anchor clamps of thesame general type, and which are shown in the previously identified prior patents.

Such recited greater angularity, when the anchor clamp I .is applied to a rail base flange, with its jaws in embracing relation thereto, resultsin the web 2 being tilted at an angle of 45 withrespect to the plane of the bottom. surface of a rail base to which the anchor is applied, said lower surface of the rail base, is, of course, in substantially the same plane as that of said lower jaw surfaces, when the clamp jaw 5 and 6 are in embracing relation to a rail base flange as shown in Fig. 8. v

The retaining element illustrated independe ently in Figs. 6 and '7, and in, combination with the clamp I in Figs. 1, 8, 10 and partially in Fig. 9, is formed from proper lengths cut from a much longer strip of spring steel, whose width is somewhat less than the distance 1/ between the clamp arms 3, and while superficially being somewhat similar in form to the, corresponding element of the anchors of the previously identified prior pat; ents, is preferably distinguished therefrom in certain particulars as now set forth.

, The retaining member 65, preferably formed of a fiat blank of good resilient spring steel is bent flatwise intermediate its ends to provide a pair of slightly forwardly convergent respectively upper and lower arms I9 and 2D, and a loop connector portion I8, the upper arm I9 being longer, and the shorter lower arm 2|! terminating forwardly in an upwardly turned hook-like portion. 2i whose upper edge is close to but is initially, as: shown in Fig. 6, interspaced from the relativelysuperposed lower surface of a medial portion of the longer arm. The longer arm also terminates forwardly in an upturned retainer hook 22, of the usual type. v

In the embodiment illustrated, the long arm is initially of generally, downwardly bowed form, though preferably as shown, has a nearly straight, though preferably downwardly inclined rear-most portion, and a forward free-end tongue portion I911 which preferably i upwardly curved, and terminates forwardly in an upturned hook 22. L The short arm is preferably nearly straight though upwardly inclined between the C-shaped loop I8 which affords an integral connector for the arms, and the base of its hook 2!, and the upper edge of said hook, when unstressed, is disposed below the relatively confrontin lower surface of said long arm, which .surface is in a medial, andpreferably is near the middle portion of the arm length.

The short arm and the superposed portion of the long arm, being relatively lightly convergent, thus more nearly approaching relative parallelism than in prioranchors of the same general type, which as later noted, is of distinct benefit during the driving operation. During and after the driving operation these arm portions becomeslightly more relatively convergent.

The initial spacing or gap between the upper I edge 34 ofthe hook 2|, and the adjacent lowermost surface portion of the long arm I9 may When the anchor is fully applied, as in Fig. 8, the distance A, as a result of the construction as described, and including the degree of convergence of the lower jaw surfaces 6, and the upper surface of the web 2, the lessened distance between most forward portions of said surfaces, the height of the hook 2|, and the length of the web 2, between the foremost upper corner arr of the clamp web and the rail base bottom, is made to be substantially less than the dimension B which is measured on a line parallel to the line A and which includes the thickness of the upper retainer arm l9 plus the height of the upstanding portion of the hook 2|, the upper edge 34 of the hook 2| bein then in pressure engagement with the relatively superposed bottom surface of the arm 19.

This result is most readily and practically achieved as a result of the 45 relative angularity between the plane of the lower jaw surfaces and that of, at least, more forwardly disposed upper surface portion of the clamp web 2 and by disposing the foremost edges of the lower clamp jaws 6 more closely to the foremost edge corner as: of the clamp web.

The radius of curvature of the circular rearmost connector portion l8, of the retaining element 60, is preferably made relatively shorter than heretofore as compared with the length of the nearly closed loop, which is here generally indicated at 32, and comprises said connector portion, said lower arm 20 and the relatively superposed portion of the upper arm I9.

In the construction of different spring retainer elements, a sample of which is shown in Figs. 6 and 7, as adapted for application to rail bases of somewhat variant widths, whereof, for instance, the base of a 112 pound rail is wider by of an inch than that of a 90 pound rail, it Will be expedient to add a corresponding amount to the length of the free end of the longer arm I9, it being permissible to maintain the loop 32 in the same standard size for all presently standard rail base widths.

The clamp and the spring retainer elements, as above described, are preferably pre-assembled to make of them a unitarily assembled structure as illustrated in Fig. 1, at the factory, so that the two elements may together be applied to a rail base as illustrated in Fig. 10, as a unit, the driving operation being then substantially like that employed when applying a one-piece anchor.

To assemble said clamp and retainer elements, the rear-most or looped portion of the retainer element is placed between the clamp arms 3, with the long and short arms of the loop disposed respectively above and below the opposing protuberances la of said arms, said protuberances being thus caused to extend slightly inwardly of the lateral edges of the looped material.

When so placed the lateral edges of the spring retainer element are wedgingly engaged by the rear-most inner surfaces of the clamp arms which thus are resiliently slightly spread further apart and therefore reactively grip said retainer spring 60 on a transverse swinging axis.

In thus positionin the looped portion 22 of the element 60, the circular rear end thereof will project rearwardly of the rearmost portions substantially as shown in Fig. 1 and preferably, the free end of the element 60, comprising the forward tongue portion I9a, which terminates in the retaining hook 22, is preferably swung downwardly on said axis until the undersurface of said tongue portion |9a makes, or at least approaches, engagement with the upper corner am of the forward edge of the clamp web 2.

Such preliminary positioning of the forwardly disposed tongue portion |9a of the upper retainer arm will leave the clamp notches unobstructed so that the clamp jaws 5 and 6 may respectively embracingly engage the upper and lower surfaces 26 and 21 of a rail base flange 28, when the preassembled rail anchor is applied, more or less loosely, to such flange, as by hand, in the manner generally indicated at Fig. 10.

Such preliminary application will ordinarily cause the upper-most tip 22a of the hook 22 to engage or be brought quite closely to the underside 2111 of the opposite rail base flange 28a.

The rail anchor is then, in a very simple manner, driven onto the rail base by simply directing a blow or blows by a maul or the like, which may be applied from widely variant vertical directions such as indicated by the arrows 30 against the rear-most curved connector portion l8 of the retainer element 60. Such driving of the retainer element is effective to quickly advance the entire retainer element transversely of the rail base until the terminal hook 22 of the long arm just passes the lateral edge 3| of the rail base, whereupon said base, the aforesaid clamp, and the retaining element is relatively disposed as shown in Fig. 8.

A comparison between Figs. 10 and 8 reveal that the driving has effected forward movement of both the retainer and clamp elements and also relative movement of said elements with respect to each other, whereby the base surface 33 of the hook terminal 2|, for the short arm 20, has not only moved forwardly, transversely of the rail, but by camming engagement between the upper surface 2a of the clamp web 2 and said curved base surface 33 of the hook terminal, is guided upwardly toward the rail base bottom and, during the driving operation, it supper edge 34 will preferably engage the adjacent lower surface of the initially downwardly bound long retaining arm l9 and effect a substantial resilient flattening thereof, by upwardly directed force transmitted to it by said hook 2|, the ultimate limit of such flattening, in extreme cases being that illustrated in Fig. 11.

Resultantly, the said long arm I9 is resiliently bent toward a more nearly straight form during such engagement to achieve an over-all lengthening of said long arm, which lengthening, in combination with concurrent forward movement of the long arm, enables the hook 22 of the long arm to be projected beyond the lateral surface 3| of the rail base.

Thereupon, the energy stored in said long spring arm, H! by its distortion towards a more nearly straight form, in combination with energy stored by concurrent slight bending of the shorter arm 20 and of the connector portion l8, effects a subsequent spring reaction to firmly and strongly force said hook 22 upwardly and to maintain said hook in its upward position.

During the above recited driving operation, the substantial and unusual angularity of between the upper clamp web surface 2a and the bottom surface 21 of the rail base, forward driving of the retaining element and particularly of its short arm 20 in the forward direction causes the engagement between the curved base 33 of the short arm terminal hook 2| and the upper surface of the said web to become effective to cause a tractive effort, by the base 33 of the hook 2|, against said clamp web.

This tractive effort causes the entire clamp to be sufliciently moved transversely of the rail, whereby the clamp jaws and 6 are projected further onto the rail base flange 2B, and, for this reason, no subsequent direct driving operation need be imposed upon the clamp, since the clamp is tractively moved when the retaining element is driven, to give a proper degree of advance to the jaws 5 and 6, to properly position said jaws more inwardly over the base flange surfaces, 26 and 21, as indicated in Fig. 8, as compared with the showing of Fig. 10.

Retractive re-bounding movements of the retaining element 60 during driving are substantially eliminated since the knee of the curved surface 33 makes a low frictional contact with the upper surface 2a of the clamp web, and also since following the first driving blow, if the retaining hook 22 has not yet been projected over the edge 3| of the remote rail base flange, its upper edge 22a makes a high frictional engagement with the underside 2'! of the rail base; the tendency to rebound is also largely eliminated due to the fact that the spring arm portion of the loop 32 is substantially straight and extending nearly in the direction of driving, and the connector portion I8 is formed on such a short radius as to stiffen it against any straightening effects.

The previously described resilient bending of the spring retainer member 60, and the storing of retractive energy tending to force the free end of the short arm hook downwardly, coupled with the above noted 45 angularlty of the upper surface of the clamp web upon which resilient retractive pressure by the lower base surface 33 of the hook 2| is exerted, is effective to effect a slight downward sliding retractive movement of the hook 2| upon the upper surface of the clamp web to retract the long arm hook 22 inwardly against the adjacent edge of the rail base flange, and to hold it tightly thereagainst following the snapping of the hook 22 over said flange responsive to the drive-on operation just described.

Thus there is no chance that any amount of momentary forward movement of the hook 22, responsive to hard driving will result in the hook remaining in a forward position interspaced from the rail base flange edge, as not uncommonly occurs during application of prior types of two-piece anchors.

When fully applied the upper arm l9 preferably engages the rail base bottom, only at the widely separated points 4| and 42, the latter being the lowermost corner of the base flange 23.

The driving operation as previously described is effective to so firmly secure the rail anchor to the rail base, that during "pounding of the rails responsive to passage of trains thereover, even under conditions of high ballast, the anchor remains secured to said rail base and in operative relation thereto; yet, the anchor is quite readily removed from the rail base by tapping downwardly against the upper surface of the hook 22 with a small hammer or other tool. Once the upper edge of the hook 22 is thus deflected downwardly below the level of the rail base bottom 27, energy stored in the spring retaining element is instantly effective to cause a retractive movement of the entire retainer element during which the base 33 of the hook 2| slides downwardly and rearwardly along the upper surface 2a of the clamp web 2, whereupon light blows directed against the edges 3b of the upper portions of the clamp arms -3 will result in'easy removal of the clamp and retainer element from the rail base, with the two anchor elements still in their relatively assembled relation substantially as shown in Fig. 1, thus enabling the unitary assembly of anchor elements I and 60 to be re-applied to the same or another rail base in the manner previously described.

In the case of prior anchors of this general type it has been possible to drive the terminal end, of the short lower arm of the retaining spring, to an indefinite variable distance beyond the forward edge of the clamp web where itand the superposed portion of the upper arm becomes tightly wedged between said web edge and the bottom of the rail base.

Therefore, said prior rail anchors have sometimes been left in place on the rail with the retainer hook 22 projected beyond the lateral edge of the rail base flange with which it should be in operative, resilient maintained, permanent engagement, and the wedging of the foremost portion of the loop between the web and the rail base sets up an enormous frictional effect to prevent rearward retractive movement of the spring retainer element.

Under such a condition of application, the rail anchor is not so secured to the rail base as to withstand the dislodging effects which are subsequently operative, nor to effectively anchor the rail which is the prime purpose of all-rail anchors.

Also, since the application of the said prior anchors to a rail base has required a final operation, that of striking the rear-most corners of the clamp, to move the jaws of said clamp further onto the associated rail base flange, such operation, because of the high degree of frictional engagement has between the forward upper'edge of the web against a bottom surface of the short spring arm, is conducive to moving the retaining spring in the same forward direction as the clamp, this being another at least contributing, and sometimes an independent sole cause of a lack of operative engagement between the remote rail flange edge and the inner surface of the terminal hook of the long spring arm.

overdriving, as above described, is of more frequent occurrence because of the fact that the upper surface of the clamp web converges toward the rail base bottom surface at a substantially more acute angle than the 45 angle of convergence of my improved anchor, the prior effective angle of convergence being commonly of the order of 30.

Briefly summarized, in the anchor of my present invention, where said angle of convergence is of the order of 45, and the forward upper edge am is brought so closely to the superposed portion ofthe bottom surface of the rail base, the vertical distance between the most forwardly and upwardly disposed upper surface portions of the clamp web, adjacent to edge am, and the bottom surface of the spring arm 19, even when said spring arm may momentarily be pressed flatwise against the rail base bottom, is substantially less 11 of the spring, closely approach a longitudinally straight form, creates a condition when driving blows upon the rear-most surface 30a of said connector portion, achieves the function of tractively forcing the clamp jaws and 6 to their fully applied position on the rail base flange 28.

Moreover, the angle 45, as between the bottom rail base surface 2! and the upper surface is conducive to retractive downward movement of the portions 33 of the short arm 2|] along the web surface 2a, to insure that the inner surface of the hook22, once snapped over the rail base flange 3|, will be resiliently maintained tightly against said flange edge.

In practice, therefore, in the above described anchor to prevent overdriving, to insure continued clamping engagement with the rail base, and to eliminate the prior art necessity of performing a subsequent driving operation of the clamp, the above described angle of convergence, of the camming upper surface of the clamp Web 2 with the bottom surface of the rail base, and thedescribed inability of the base of the hook terminal 2| to reach or be passed over the web edge am because of the lack of sufficient space between said edge and the rail base bottom portion, are important aspects, of the herein disclosed preferred embodiment of my present invention.

Every portion of the spring extending from the hook 22 through the C-shaped loop l8 to the hook 2| is freely, resiliently yieldable to the forces imposed upon it during application of the anchor to a. rail base, and thereafter in use, not onl is the retaining hook 22 resiliently pressed upwardly during application to a rail base, but also during use is resiliently pressed to its uppermost position, with a component of the resilient pressure effective to retractively pull the inner surface of the hook 22 against the edge 3| of the base flange.

No portion of the length of the spring is substantially disabled or in any way effectively immobilized against resilient bending, because of the absence of frictional lateral gripping by the clamp arms at more than one pivotal portion of the spring element 60, said pivotal engagement being had only at directly opposite lateral clamping points defining a Swinging axis, X, where the closely converged rear portions of the inner surfaces, of the clamp arms, are operatively resiliently pressed apart by the interposed portion of the spring element 60.

In the present anchor the upper surface of the web 2, being inclined at the abruptly upward angle of 45 to the plane of the rail base bottom, coupled with the point of engagement by the short arm portion 33 with the web sin-face 2a being of very restricted area, and the engaged surface 33 of the short arm being abruptly rounded, said portion 33 and said web surface make low frictional bearing engagement, as compared to Wedging contacts as in prior two-piece anchors; as a result the retractive effort communicated by the spring action of the retainer element 60 upon the book 22 is highly effective under all appropriate operative conditions of application and use of the anchor, except that prior to snapping the retainer hook over the remote rail base edge 33, relatively high frictional engagement by said hook against the bottom of the rail base presents rearward re-bounding of the retainer element 60.

It will be understood that driving the free end of the spring arm 20 against such an abruptly inclined camming surface 2a of the web, if the resistance offered by the clamp against its forward horizontal movement were equal to the resistance of said short arm free end to upward cam-follower movement, would result in the driving force being substantially equally divided into a horizontally directed clamp moving force and an upwardly directed cam-follower moving force imposed upon the free end of the arm 20.

During the successive portions of the driving period, the relative effectiveness of these two components of force shifts with the result that first the clamp moves horizontally forward to nearly its home position, then the hook end of the short spring arm 20 moves upwardly along the inclined camming surface 2a of the clamp web to cause the upper end edge of the hook 2| to engage the bottom surface of the long arm, and subsequently the resistance to further upward movement of the hook 2| being so substantially increased, a sufficient component of the driving force effects movement to the final home" position of the clamp while the upward pressure exerted by the hook 2| against the under side of the spring arm I9 tends to flatten said arm, and may momentarily compress it medial upper surface against the rail base bottom, with the result that both clamp and hook 2| have been moved to their practical limits of movement and wherein the hook 2| may be momentarily advanced upwardly on the inclined surface 2a beyond the position in Fig. 8.

This final phase of the driving places the clamp in its ultimate horizontally advanced position and forces the hook terminal of the long arm beyond the remote rail base flange edge 33 with the result that the hook 22 will be snapped upwardly by the retractive, resilient effort of the fiattened arm l9 and upon discontinuance of the driving effort, the retractive, resilient effort of the spring portions of the loop 32 will retractively effect a slight downward movement of the short arm hook 2| on the cam surface 2a to retractively resiliently pull the inner side of the hook 2| against the forward remote rail base flange edge.

The present application is a continuation in part, of applicants co-pending application, Serial Number 558,093 filed October 10, 1944, now abandoned, entitled Two Piece Rail Anchors.

Having described a preferred embodiment of my invention which has been illustrated in the drawings, I am aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made from the embodiment herein illustrated and described but which will be within the purview of the present invention.

I, therefore, claim as my invention:

1. A two-piece rail anchor of the type comprising a channel-shaped clamp having a pair of laterally interspaced upstanding arms rearwardly and upwardly notched from their forward edges to afford corresponding pairs of upper and lower rail base flange engaging jaws and an intermediate web interconnecting the lower ends of the arms, and a spring retainer formed of bar steel, which is intermediately bent to afford superposed relatively longer upper, and shorter lower spring arms, each of said arms terminat ing in an upturned hook, said retainer having a relatively rearwardly disposed substantial portion of the length of its said upper arm, and the forward portion of the length of its lower arm which constitutes the greater portion of its entire length, disposable between said clamp arms, with the bottom surface of the hooked end of the lower arm engageable with a relatively forwardly disposed portion of the upper surface of said clamp web, and with the relatively forward portion of the long spring arm extending forwardly beyond those portions of the clamp arms which extend between said web and the foremost portions of the said clamp jaws, said clamp and retainer members adapted for simultaneous application to a rail base from one side thereof with the proximate base flange embraced by said upper and lower jaws and the upturned hook of the upper retainer arm in retaining engagement with the remote side edge of said base and the sum of the vertical dimensions of the lower spring arm hook, and that of the thickness of said relatively superposed upper arm portion, being substantially greater than the vertical spacing between the forward upper edge of said clamp web and the superposed lower surface of the rail base.

2. A two-piece rail anchor comprising a ch-annel-shaped clamp having its upstanding arms rearwardly and upwardly notched from their forward edges to afford corresponding pairs of upper and lower rail base engaging jaws, and a retainer formed of bar steel whichis intermediately bent to afford a superposed relatively-longer upper and a lower shorter spring arm with the rear portions of said arms integrally joined by a substantially C-shaped connector portion, both of said arms terminating in upturned hooks, and e the surfaces of the lower jaws being disposed in a plane which intersects that of the upper surface of the clamp Web at an acute angle, the lower arm of said retainer and the relatively superposed portion of the upper arm being disposable between the clamp arms with said connector portion projected rearwardly thereof, and with the hooked end of the upper arm projected forwardly from between the clamp arms, said anchor clamp and retainer concurrently being applied to a rail base by the sole effect of driving force directed against the rear surface of said retainer connector portion after said clamp jaws are placed in embracing relation to a rail base flange, the most forward portions of the said lower jaw surfaces being so closely interspaced with respect to the forward edges of said clamp web, during the period of driving-said retainer, and also when said anchor is completely applied to said rail base, that the sum of the vertical dimension of the lower arm hook and of the thickness of the relatively superposed upper arm portion is substantially greater than the vertical spacing between the forward upper edge of said web and the superposed lower surface of the rail base. 3. A two-piece rail anchor comprising a channel-shaped clamp having its upstanding arms rearwardly and upwardly notched from their forward edges to afford corresponding pairs of upper and lower rail base engaging jaws, and a retainer formed of bar steel which is intermediately bent to afford a superposed relatively longer upper and a lower shorter spring arm with the rear portions of said arms being integrally joined by a substantially C-shaped connector portion, both of said arms terminating in upturned hooks, the plane of the foremost portion of the upper surface of the clamp web intersecting the plane of the 'lowerclamp jaw surfaces, the included angle between said planes being. substantially greater than the lower arm of said retainer and the relatively superposed portion of the upper arm being placed between the clamp arms with said connector portion being projected rear- 'end corners of the clamp arms being cut away l4 wardly therefrom, and the forward portion of the upper arm being projected forwardly from between the clamp arms, said anchor clamp and retainer being then adapted to be concurrently applied as a unit to a rail base by the sole effect of driving force directed against the rear surface of said retainer connector portion after said clamp jaws are placed in embracing relation to a rail base flange, the base of the short arm hook being the only part of the lower arm engageable with said clamp web surface portion, and said engagement being effective to communicate a substantial portion of the retainer driving effort to the clamp to tractively move it to fully applied position onto the jaw-embraced rail base flange, and the remaining portion of said driving effort being also effective to cause the lower base surface of said short arm hook to act as a cam-follower with respect to the engaged web surface portion, to cause said hook to be cammed upwardly against the lower surface of the upper retainer arm during the driving operation, and the heighth of said short arm hook added to the thickness of the relatively superposed portion of the upper retainer arm being greater than the distance between the forward upper edge of the web from the relatively superposed portion of the rail base bottom surface.

4.- The two-piece rail anchor substantially as set forth in claim 1 characterized by at least the foremost portion of the clamp web and at least the foremost portions of the clamp jaw surfaces being relatively forwardly converging at an angle which is substantially in excess of 30.

5. A two-piece rail anchor comprising a channel-shaped clamp having its upstanding arms rearwardly and upwardly notched from their forward edges to afford corresponding pairs of upper and lower rail base engaging jaws, and a retainer formed of bar steel, which is intermediately bent to afford a superposed relatively longer upper and a lower shorter spring arm with the rear portions of said arms integrally joined by a substantially c-shaped connector portion, both of said arms terminating in upturned hooks, the foremost portion of the upper surface of the clamp web being disposed in a plane intersecting the plane of the lower clamp jaw surfaces at a transversely extending line disposed substantially close to the forward portion of said jaw surfaces, the lower arm of said retainer and the relatively superposed portion of the upper arm thereof being placed between the clamp arms with said connector portion projected rearwardly, and the forward portion of the upper arm projected forwardly, from between the clamp arms, sai-d anchor clamp and retainer concurrently being applied to a rail base by the effect of driving force directed against the rear surface of said retainer connector portion after said clamp jaws are placed in embracing relation to a rail base flange, the sum of the vertical dimension of the lower arm hook and of the thickness of the relatively superposed upper arm portion being substantially greater than the vertical spacing between the forward upper edge-of said web and the superposed lower surface of the rail base, during the period of driving said rail base, and the uppermost rear to avoid obstruction of the path of a driving implement directed in any angularly downward forward direction against the rear surface of th said connector portion, I

6. A two-piece rail anchor. comprising a channel-shaped clamp having its upstanding arms rearwardly and upwardly notched from their forward, edges to afford corresponding pairs of upper and lower rail base engaging jaws, and a retainer formed of bar steel, which is intermediately bent to afford a superposed relatively longer upper and a lower shorter spring arm with the rear portions of said arms integrally joined by a substantially C-shaped connector portion, the foremost portion of the upper surface of the clamp web being disposed in a plane intersecting the plane of the lower clamp jaw surfaces at a transversely extending line disposed substantial- 1y close to the forward portion of said jaw surfaces, the lower arm of said retainer and the relatively superposed portion of the upper arm thereof being placed between the clamp arms with said connector portion projected rearwardly, and the forward portion of the upper arm projected forwardly, from between the clamp arms, the upper arm terminating in an upturned hook and the lower arm having its forward terminal in engagement with said web surface and being the only portion of said retainer adapted to engagement with said web surface portion, said anchor clamp and retainer concurrently being applied to a rail base by the effect of driving force directed against the rear surface of said retainer connector portion after said clamp jaws are placed in embracing relation to a rail base flange, the sum of the vertical dimension of the lower arm terminal and of the thickness of the relatively superposed upper arm portion being substantially greater than the vertical spacing between the forward upper edge of said web and the superposed lower surface of the rail base, during the period of driving said rail base.

7. A. two-piece rail anchor comprising a channel-shaped clamp having its upstanding arms rearwardly and upwardly notched from their forward edges to afford corresponding pair of upper and lower rail base engaging jaws, and a retainer formed of bar steel, which is intermediately bent to afford a superposed relatively longer upper and a lower shorter spring arm with the rear portions of said arms integrally joined by a substantially C-shaped connector portion, the foremost portion of the upper surface of the clamp web being disposed in a plane intersecting the plane of the lower clamp jaw surfaces at a line disposed substantially close to the forward portion of said jaw surfaces, the lower arm of said retainer and the relatively superposed portion of the upper arm being placed between the clamp arms with said connector portion projected rearwardly and the forward portion of the upper arm projected forwardly from between the clamp arms, the upper arm terminating in an upturned hook, the bottom lowermost surface of the most forwardly disposed end portion of the lower retainer arm being disposable in engagement with said web surface and being of substantially longitudinally convexly curved form to cause its engagement with said web surface to be highly restricted in the forward direction and being the only surface portion of said retainer operatively engageable with the upper surface of said web, said anchor clamp and retainer being concurrently applied to a rail base by the effect of driving force directedv against the rear surface of said retainer connector portion after said clamp jaws are placed in embracing relation to a rail base flange, the sum of the vertical dimension of the said most forwardly disposed end portion of the lower retainer arm, and of the thickness of the relatively superposed upper arm portion being substantially greater than the vertical spacing between the forward upper edgev of said web and the superposed lower surface of the rail base.

8. A rail anchor comprising a channel-shaped clamp and an elongated bar-steel retainer, the clamp armsbeing each correspondingly inwardly notched from their forward edge to afford upper and lower jaws, which upper and lower jaws each embrace a rail base flange, the channel web comprising a forwardly disposed upper surface portion relatively extending in forward converging relation to the plane of the lower jaws, said retainer being bent to provide relatively superposed upper and lower spring arms, each terminating in an upturned hook, the lower spring arm hook disposed closely below a medial portion of the upper arm, a major portion of the lower spring arm and the relatively superposed portions of the upper spring arm being so disposable between the clamp arms as to adapt them for movement lengthwise between the clamp arms with the base of the short spring arm hook disposed in camming engagement with said web surface, said hook base being the only point of engagement between said retainer and said web, said anchor being applied to a rail base by placing the clamp jaws in embracing relation to one rail base flange and by driving said retainer by its rearrnost bent portion to cause the base of said short spring arm hook to ride upwardly and forwardly in engagement with said web surface until said upper spring arm hook is resiliently snapped upwardly to effect engagement between its inner surface and the relatively opposing lateral surface of the opposite rail base flange, the hooked end of the short spring arm and the relatively superposed medial portion of the said upper spring arm together forming a vertically aligned structure having a combined substantially greater vertical dimension than the vertical space between the forward edge surface portion of said web and the bottom surface of the rail base disposed directly above it, whereby the base of said short arm hook may not be caused to forwardly traverse said web edge.

9. A rail anchor comprising a channel-shaped clamp having a lowermost medial web and a pair of upwardly extending arms, said arms being alike rearwardly, inwardly and upwardly so notched proceeding from their front edges, as to afford outwardly divergent upper and lower jaw surfaces which fittingly embrace the upper and lower surface of a rail base flange with the clamp tilted so as to dispose the web in approximately 45 converging relation to the bottom surface of the rail base, and an elongated leaf spring retainer curvilinearly bent to afford a pair of forwardly extending respectively upper longer and lower shorter leaf spring arms both terminating in upturned hooks, the upper edge of the lower arm hook being disposed closely below to a medial portion of the upper arm, relatively superposed portions of said retainer arms being disposable between the clamp arms with at least a rearmost portion of the curvilinear bent portion disposed rearwardly thereof and a substantial length of the upper arm projecting forwardly therebeyond, said upper arm being medially downwardly bowed, said retainer adapted to be driven transversely of the rail base by blows directed upon said bent portion with the base of the short arm hook alone being engageable with the clamp web to cam said hook upwardly against the adjacent bottom medial surface portion of the long arm to project the long arm hook sumciently beyond the opposite rail base flange edge to therefore effect a resilient upward snap movement of said long arm hook, the vertical dimension of the short arm hook being too great with respect to the vertical spacing between the lower surface of the rail base and the forward upper edge of the web to permit the base of the hook to move sufiiciently forwardly and upwardly as to cause any portion of the said short retainer arm to overlie or pass forwardly beyond said edge.

10. A two-piece type of rail anchor comprising a U-shaped clamp affording arms each rearwardly and upwardly notched from their front edges to afford like pairs of rail base flange embracing jaws, said arms extending upwardly in a direction substantially normal to an intermediate, interconnecting web, said web comprising a relatively forwardly disposed upper surface portion which is convergingly disposed relatively to the plane of said lower jaw surface portions, and an elongated bar-steel spring retainer bent to af ford a pair of relatively superposed long upper and short lower arms and a substantially C- shaped rearmost loop portion interconnecting the rear ends of the arms, both of said arms terminating forwardly in an upstanding hook terminal, the forward, major portion of the length of said short arm being confined between relatively lower portions of the clamp arms, the base of the lower arm engageable with said web surface, the long arm being slightly downwardly bowed and having a major portion of its length underlying the bottom surface of a rail base when the clamp jaws are disposed in embracing relation to one of the rail base flanges with the hook terminal of said long arm projecting upwardl in retaining engagement with the side surface of the opposite rail base flange, the vertical spacin of said lower jaw surfaces with respect to said web surface, and the vertical dimension of the lower arm hook when added to the thickness of the superposed portion of the upper arm, being such as to bar such excessive forwardly driven movement of the retainer as would permit upward and forward movement of said base of the lower arm hook to effect engagement of said base with the upper forward edge of the clamp web.

11. A rail anchor comprising a channel-shaped clamp member affording a medial web and a pair of relatively upstanding side arms, both of said arms being notched rearwardly and upwardly from their foremost edges to afford respectively upper and lower jaw surfaces which fittingly engage the upper and lower surfaces respectively, of a rail base flange, said clamp web being disposed in forwardly converging relation to all of said jaw surfaces; and a retaining spring member formed of a bar of strip steel and which is medial- 1y reentrantly bent to afiord a rearmost C-shaped loop and respectively upper and lower spring arms, at least the long arm terminating in an upturned hook, the rear-most portion of the upper arm and at least the foremost portion of the lower arm being interposed between the clamp arms in engagement with the clamp web and the long arm extending diagonally from between the upper rear corner portions of the arms to substantially lower forward portions thereof, said clamp and retainer members being applied to a rail base bottom with the clamp jaws embracing one rail base i8 flange, and said spring member being advanced below the rail base to project its hook over and in engagement with the side edge of the opposite rail base flange, said clamp arms in the general region of the rearmost portions of the long arm being normally inwardly deflected so as to frictionally grip the side edges of said long arm at its said rearmost portions, and said clamp arms being additionally inwardly deflected in portions disposed between the rear portions of both of said spring member arms to restrain the rear end of said spring member from being vertically displaced, all other portions of the side edges of the spring member being free of laterally inwardly directed friction-creating pressure engagement by either of said clamp arms.

12. In combination with a rearwardly looped spring member'of a two-piece type of rail anchor, a channel-shaped clamp comprising an intermediate web and a pair of upstanding arms, said arms being notched rearwardly and upwardly from their foremost edges to afford companion pairs of upper and lower jaw surfaces, said jaw surfaces relatively so divergent as to permit said pairs of jaws to fittingly embrace the respective upper and lower surfaces of a rail base flange, the planes of the web upper surface and of the lower jaw surface portions which are engageable with the rail base bottom being relatively forwardly convergent at an angle of approximately 45, and the front edge portions of the clamp arms which are disposed between the most forward portions of said lower jaw surfaces and the foremost upper edge portion of the clamp web being not in excess of the distance between the foremost portions of said upper and lower jaw surfaces.

13. In combination with a rearwardly looped spring member of a two-piece type of rail anchor, a channel-shaped clamp comprising an intermediate web and a pair of upstanding arms, said arms being notched rearwardly and upwardly from their foremost edges to afford companion pairs of upper and lower jaw surfaces, said jaw surfaces relatively so divergent as to permit said pairs of jaws to fittingly embrace the respective upper and lower surfaces of a rail base flange, the planes of the web upper surface and of the lower jaw surface portions which are engageable with the rail base bottom being relatively convergent at an angle of approximately 45, each of said arms terminating in forwardly disposed edges which are substantially straight and extend in an upward direction which is normal to the plane of said web surface and the upper rearmost portions, portions of each of said clamp arms which are disposed progressively more distant from said web being relatively progressively more greatly converged proceeding from their front to their rear edges to interspace said converged portions a distance normally less than the width of the loop portion of said spring member, which is adapted to be disposed therebetween, in the normal assembly of said clamp and spring member.

14. In combination with a rearwardly looped spring member of a two-piece type of rail anchor, having relatively superposed upper long and lower short arms which are rearwardly interconnected by an interposed connector portion of generally C-form, a channel-shaped clamp comprising an intermediate web and a pair of upstanding arms, which are skew bent to cause their rearmost portions to be progressively disposed nearer together in converged relation, proceeding from the web toward their free ends of the arms, the spring member adapted to be resiliently compressed in a localized portion of its length, which is forcibly interposed between the most greatly converged rear portions of said arms, and which localized portion is in the region of juncture between the long upper spring arm and said C-form connector, said arms being notched rearwardly and upwardly from their foremost edges to afford companion pairs of upper and lower jaw surfaces, said jaw surfaces relatively so divergent as to permit said pairs of jaws to fittingly embrace the respective upper and lower surfaces of a rail base flange, and said relatively inwardly converged portions of said clamp arms each provided with substantially abruptly inwardly indentured portions of relatively restricted area to afford inwardly extending projections or relatively small area which project laterally within the side edges of the connector portion of said spring member, which except in the said converged portions of said arms being laterally free of pressure engagement by any other portions of said arms.

15. In a rail anchor, a channel-shaped clamp member having upstanding arm portions inwardly and upwardly notched from corresponding portions of their front edges to afford upper and lower jaws adapted to embrace one flange of a rail base, and a web portion disposable below said base and extending transversely thereof, being inclined forwardly and upwardly at an angle of approximately 45 with respect to the surfaces of said lower jaws, and a retainer member for said clamp in the form of a bar of resilient steel material intermediately bent to afford long and short arms in normally spaced relation and together with the intermediate substantially bowed connector portion defining a normally open loop, a hook at the free extremity of the long arm turned away from the short arm, and a hook at the free extremity of the short arm turned toward the long arm, said short arm and the relatively superposed portion of said long arm adapted for disposition between the clamp arms with the base of said short arm hook engaged with an intermediate upper surface portion of said web, said long arm hook disposable with its inner edge engaged with the side edge of the relatively remote rail base flange, the forward edge of said clamp web being disposed more closely to the rail base bottom than the sum representing the thickness of the long arm and the heighth of the short arm hook whereby said short arm base may not be advanced beyond a substantial distance rearwardly of said clamp web edge.

16. A two-piece rail anchor of the two-piece type comprising a channel-shaped clamp having its upstanding arms rearwardly and upwardly notched from their forward edges to afford corresponding pairs of relatively divergent upper and lower rail base flange engaging jaws, and a spring retainer formed of bar steel, which is intermediately bent to afford superposed relatively longer upper, and shorter lower spring arms, at least the upper of said arms terminating in an upturned hook, when said clamp is fully applied to a rail base flange with the upper and lower jaws thereof embracing the respectively upper and lower surfaces of said flange, and with said upper arm projecting forwardly from between the clamp arms to project its hook into retaining engagement with the edge of the other rail base flange, the sum of the vertical dimensions of the end of the lower spring arm and that of the thickness of the relatively superposed upper arm portion, is substantially greater than the vertical spacing between the forward upper edge of said clamp web and the superposed lower surface of the rail base.

17. A two-piece rail anchor of the two-piece type comprising a channel-shaped clamp having its upstanding arms rearwardly and upwardly notched from their forward edges to afford corresponding pairs of upper and lower rail base flange engaging jaws, and a spring retainer formed of flat bar steel, which is intermediately bent to afford superposed relatively longer upper, and shorter lower spring arms, both of said arms terminating in upturned hooks, the plane of the foremost portion of the upper surface of the clamp web being relativel forwardly convergent with respect to the plane of the lower jaw surfaces and the foremost edges of said lower jaw surfaces being disposed so closely to the foremost upper edge portion of the clamp web that when said clamp is fully applied to a rail base flange with the upper and lower jaws thereof embracing the respectively upper and lower surfaces of said flange, and when the lower arm and the relatively superposed portion of the upper arm are disposed between the clamp arms with the re tainer driven forwardly to project its hook over the remote rail base flange edge, the sum obtained by adding the vertical dimension of the lower spring arm hook to the thickness of the relatively superposed upper arm portion, is substantially greater than the vertical spacing between the forward upper edge of said clamp web and the superposed lower surface of the rail base.

18. In a rail anchor, a channel-shaped clamp member having upstanding arm portions each inwardly notched from corresponding front edge portions to afford upper and lower jaws to embrace one flange of a rail base and a web portion disposable below said base and extending transversely thereof, at least the forward upper surface portion of said web being inclined forwardly, substantially, abruptly and upwardly at an acute angle with respect to the relatively superposed portion of said base, and a retainer member for said clamp in the form of a bar of resilient steel material intermediately bent to afford long and short arms in normally spaced relation and together with the intermediate substantially bowed connector portion defining a normally open loop, a hook at the free extremity of the long arm turned away from the short arm, and a hook at the free extremity of the short arm turned toward the long arm, said retainer arm portions being disposable between the clamp arms with the base of the short arm loop engageable with the upper surface of said web, with said connector portion projecting rearwardly from between the clamp arms and said long arm hook adapted, responsive to driving blows imposed upon the rear surface of said loop, to be advanced below and across said rail base beyond the relatively remote flange thereof and to be resiliently snapped upwardly over the outer edge of said remote flange responsive to vertical compression of said loop between said rail base and said channel web surface portion, the forward edge of said clamp web being disposed more closely to the rail base bottom than the sum representing the thickness of the long arm and the heighth of the short arm hook.

19. A rail anchor comprising a channel-shaped clamp the arms thereof being inwardly, rearwardly and upwardly notched to afford companion pairs of upper and lower jaws adapted to fittingly embrace the upper and lower surfaces of a rail base flange, and a spring retainer made of spring 21 bar steel, comprising a slightly downwardly bowed upper arm portion, a rearmost c-shaped connector portion, and a relatively shorter forwardly directed lower arm portion, said upper arm portion terminating forwardly in an upturned hook, the terminal of the short arm being disposed adjacently below a medial portion of the upper arm, said lower clamp jaws having rail bottom engaging surfaces disposed in approximately 45 degree converging relation with respect to at least a relatively closely interspaced portion of said clamp web, relatively superposed portions of the said upper and lower arms being disposable between the clamp arms with the long arm hook projected forwardly beyond the clamp and with only the lowermost base surface of the short arm terminal being engageable with a medial portion of the clamp web, at least a portion of said connector portion projecting rearwardly beyond the confines of the rear clamp arm edges to permit said re- 20 22 sure engagement with the underside of said long arm, and to concurrently tractively move said clamp to advance said jaws further onto said rail base flange, the resulting forward movement of the long arm causing its hook to be snapped upwardly over the side edge of the opposite rail base flange, the space between the most forward portion of the upper web surface and the rail base bottom being insufficient to permit sufiicient forward movement of said lower arm terminal as to cause said terminal base to engage the forward upper edge of said clamp web.

JOHN WILLIAM SKEEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,706,926 Larmonth Mar. 26, 1929 1,866,897 McConkey et a1 July 12, 1932 2,022,880 Cooper Dec. 3, 1935 

